Urbanization has become a major global phenomenon and rhe de~'liny of our planet. Thisrnprocess is highly facilitated by population growlh. technological and injrastrucillral progress. I,rnhas a strong potential to bring profound changes in the entire living condition of residents bothrnposillvely and negatively although the former by far Ollt ways the later. This paper analyzes 'hernstale of urbanism and living condition of residents in Dcbre Markos /oll'n; the capillJ/ of EasternrnCojjom Zone of Amhara regional sla/e.rnThe general objective of fhis study is /0 assess fhe socio economic and housing siluOlion ofrnresidents oj Debre Markos tOWI1. A cross-sectiollal srudy design was used. 71lc stlldy employedrnboth quantitative and quolillllive research methods, flamely household survey, in-depthrninterviews, key informant interview and observation. A 10tal of 38./ sample household headsrnwere se/ected through systematic random sampling for Ihe sun'ey. On lOp of this in deplhrninlerview was employed with 8 resideflls and one key informam from town adminislratiOlf office.rnThe findings revealed thai in Ihe past few years the town has wilnessed a tremendous spalialrnexpansion as a result of the hOI/sing demand created by the growing populalion. 11 has alsornshown a significant improvement in terms of infrastructure and small and micro enterpriserndevelopments. Service providers are mushrooming and the cons/ruction seClOr is in progress.rnThe town is characterized by significant homogeneity in terms of language and religionrnindicating the fact that it isfarfrom being a cosmopolitan center. Local social organizations arernnegatively influenced by the urbanization process. Regarding 011111101 income 11I0S/ of thernrespondents are found 10 be 101l'-income urban households. 11 also revealed that the mojorily ofrnhouseholds had access to an improved source of drinking water. /n terms of quality, the largernmajority of houses are of substandard class thai is mainly buill out of wood and mud maleria/s.rnUnemployment, absence of publiC places and inappropriale sonitalion and waste mwwgemenlrnare identified as challenges for the de'elopmenl of the town as a growing urban cemer. Thernsilldy recommended the need to imprm'e the environmemo! and physical conditions of the arearnthrough public participation and further strengthening of Ihe role of micro sand small scalernenterprises to create employment opportunities.